Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-25104896-20150910161707/@comment-25104896-20170913044115

Lily, do you know how this agency-system works?

I might didn't grasp it fully either, but I think it's following.

Member X joins AKB0048.

AKB0048 tries to find an agency to manage member X since they cannot manage 48+ members, get them solo work and so on.

If the member is lucky, an agency wants to "have" the member X. Say, that happens.

Member X transfers from the AKB0048 management to agency A. Member X still belongs to AKB0048 and works with it, but member X also belongs to agency A who'll take care of everything that is not AKB0048-related (singles, dramas (i.e Magi)),...). However, if AKB0048 wants member X to do something in AKB0048, it obviously is communicated with Agency A.

A partnership is something different than what's happening. You only need to care about the stuff above.

Ashley/Rena joined 0048, and at some point, got the offer to transfert to SYM Entertainment who'd be her agency from now on. She continued to work in 0048, but eventually got the offer to soley work for SYM (as what ever she is. Didn't follow that stuff tbh.). She accepted and left AKB0048 completly (=graduated). Since the Magi contract was made before Ashley/Rena's decision to leave 0048, it's continued.